Orgelmuseum Borgentreich

Over het museum

In September 1980, what it describes as Germany’s first organ museum opened in Borgentreich’s former town hall, a late Neoclassical building from 1850. After the municipal reorganization, the building was originally slated for demolition to widen the road, and it was saved by heritage protection and the idea for the museum. The inspiration was the famous Baroque organ in the parish church of St. Johannes Baptist across the street, one of the most important historic organs in Europe.

From the outset, the focus was not on collecting instruments but on clearly explaining how an organ works, how it sounds, how it is built, and how it has developed. Alongside historic parts such as consoles, windchests, and pipes, working models were specially built for visitors to operate themselves. Until 1993, the then cantor Gottfried Haunhorst and his wife ran the museum as volunteers; since then, the museum’s management has been tied to the post of deanery church musician, and the museum is owned by the town of Borgentreich.

Between 2002 and 2004, the roughly 600 square meters of exhibition space were renovated and reorganized along educational lines. A further modernization around 2021/22 added, among other things, a timeline of organ history in the stairwell, films on pipe making, a miniature organ-building workshop, and a room devoted to the Baroque organ with a listening station. The instrument in the church across the street can also be experienced live during guided tours and concerts.

Hoogtepunten

• Working models of the console, windchest, and pipes to try out yourself
• Baroque organ in St. Johannes Baptist right across the street – Westphalia’s largest historic organ
• Organ-building workshop as a miniature dollhouse
• Films on how organ pipes are made
• Organ demonstrations and concerts by appointment or according to the concert calendar

Vaste collectie

• Dauerausstellung: Funktion, Klang und Bau der Orgel – Stations on mechanics, sound structure (“the organ as orchestra” and “as choir”), organ builders, and pipe making, much of it hands-on; plus barrel organs and hand organs.
• Die Barockorgel von St. Johannes Baptist – A dedicated room with a listening station and films introduces the famous instrument, which stands in the church across the street and can be heard during guided tours or concerts.

Opgericht

1980

Beheerder

Stadt Borgentreich

Directie

Jörg Kraemer

Toegangsprijzen & kortingen

Toegankelijkheid

• Rolstoeltoegankelijk: geen informatie
• Lift: geen informatie
• Aangepast toilet: geen informatie
• Gehandicaptenparkeerplaats: geen informatie
• Hulphonden welkom: geen informatie
• Tastmodellen / voelbare objecten: geen informatie
• Rondleidingen in gebarentaal: geen informatie
• Informatie in eenvoudige taal: geen informatie
• Audiodescriptie: geen informatie

Museumsinitiative in OWL describes the museum as accessible for people with disabilities; the museum’s website gives no information on an elevator or restroom.

Kinderen & gezin

• Doe- en voelstations

Numerous working models to operate yourself, such as bellows and pipes to blow into.

Bereikbaarheid & parkeren

Het museum heeft hierover geen informatie gepubliceerd – vraag het rechtstreeks na bij het museum.

Service & horeca

Brochure on the Baroque organ (€9.50) and a CD recording available at the museum.

Evenementen & zaalverhuur

Het museum heeft hierover geen informatie gepubliceerd – vraag het rechtstreeks na bij het museum.

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